


Spiders

by archaeologist_d



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Spiders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 04:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5192894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archaeologist_d/pseuds/archaeologist_d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin liked to play tricks on his best friend. Who knew Will hated spiders that much?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spiders

When he was younger, Merlin found out that Will was afraid of spiders. A web strung across the path they'd been scampering through and Will had run right into it. The way he sputtered, the flailing arms, the dust he'd kicked up as he turned and ran, screaming all the way, was hilarious. It had only been a tiny spider, nothing to get so worked up about.

Merlin thought nothing of it, really, until springtime came again, and as with every spring, they needed to smoke the thatched roofs and kill off all the vermin hiding up there. Spiders included.

Shoving Will into the barn was supposed to be funny; they'd taken the piss out of each other so many times that Merlin had lost count. This was just one more thing they'd laugh about later. Besides, Will should have got over his fear of spiders by then, shouldn't he?

Apparently not. The scream he let out when the spiders started raining down wasn't funny. His terrified face haunted Merlin's nights for weeks afterwards and it was months before Will would even talk to him again.

So he didn't fight back when Will shoved him into the pigpen and stood there, glaring at him while Merlin kept slipping into the muck. It was smelly and cold and wet and the pigs weren't happy either. Neither was Hunith who made him clean his clothes _by hand_ no less, without magic.

But after that, Will started talking to him again and Merlin could breathe a little easier.

And if he wanted to play tricks, well, two heads were better than one.

Ealdor was never the same again.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: Unbetaed.   
> When I toured Cosmeston Medieval Village, known as Ealdor in Merlin, one time, the guide told me that they smoked the houses in the spring to kill the spiders and they did indeed rain down. He said he let someone else do that since he couldn't deal with it. I totally understand that! 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; It and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
